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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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 Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:08 am Post subject: |
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I showed my photos of Angkor wat to a couple of Koreans.."Oh but we have that in Korea" they angrilly stammered out. "You must go to Gyeongju".
yeah, right... |
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Blind Willie
Joined: 05 May 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:07 am Post subject: Re: same same......... |
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| flutieflakes wrote: |
| i have to say that from besides the coasts, this whole damned place looks the same. |
Oh, I agree.
But it takes a lengthy urban history and/ or big money for imaginative urban planning. Given that just about everything you see here was built within each of our lifetimes, a lack of fancy-pants buildings is not shocking |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:38 am Post subject: Re: same same......... |
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| flutieflakes wrote: |
| i know its a small place, but for the love of cripes, have some imagination in urban planning!!!!!)........... |
Maybe the problem is really too MUCH urban planning? |
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kangnam mafioso
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Location: Teheranno
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| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm not huge on temples either. With that said, I enjoyed Kangwa-do -- an island off the west coast. The temple there was built into a huge cave and was unique in that respect. There weren't many tourist eithers and there was a giant Buddha carved into the mountain that you could hike up to. In Seoul, my favorite temple is Bong-eun-sa near COEX mall. I like the juxtaposition of antiquity and modernity there. The mountains around Kyung-ju were nice, but the temples were nothing to write home about. |
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Pyongshin Sangja
Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Location: I love baby!
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| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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I know where that is!
That's Donghaksa in Gyeryongsan, isn't it?
Hey, Flutie, I'll see you next weekend. |
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jay-shi
Joined: 09 May 2004
Location: On tour
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| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Pyongshin Sangja wrote: |
| I know where that is! That's Donghaksa in Gyeryongsan, isn't it? |
Yes.
Well, of course it's not the actual temple. There is something special about Donghaksa because it's the only temple, as far as I know, where the monks are women. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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The monks there are so. . . friendly in the way that only Koreans can be. I got the full on grandmother treatment from one of them. She grabbed both my cheeks and told me she loved me.  |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 1:19 am Post subject: |
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i think you guys are missing the point of going to temples a little(except to pray off course)
Its just a chance to get out in the countryside. A lot of these temples are set in some gorgeous countryside and to go for a walk and just take it all in.
Haeinsa near Daegu, and some in Jeollanamdo are great examples of this.
I love going to temples, not for the temple but for the chill out and surroundings. |
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coolsage
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: The overcast afternoon of the soul
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| Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:38 am Post subject: Re: same same......... |
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| flutieflakes wrote: |
| and on second thought, after travelling this place for over 2 years, i have to say that from besides the coasts, this whole damned place looks the same...........aside from the mountains (in some cases), if u placed me in any city or town, i could be anywhere (apologists, i know its a small place, but for the love of cripes, have some imagination in urban planning!!!!!)........... |
Indeed, Imagination has never counted for much in this land. It took only three low-rent architects to build the post-modern Korea: one to build the commercial shops, one to slap together the grim walkup 'sign' buildings (another manifestaton of ugliness gone wild), and the deranged guys who decreed that most Koreans must live in concrete grain-elevator monstrosities completely devoid of any attempt at character. Korea: the land where imagination comes to die. |
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Ihavenolips
Joined: 22 Sep 2004
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:04 am Post subject: |
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| eamo wrote: |
Look at Korea. Look at the tourist firgures. Put two and two together.
There has actually been a jump in the usually un-impressive tourist figures. The Japanese are coming in their droves to see the location of a Korean drama which has become big in Japan. |
There was a total of 5.8 million visitors to Korea in 2004. Roughly, 4.6 million of these visitors are from Asian countries. Of this total, 2.4 million were Japanese. The number of western visitors is a scant 1.2 million.
Tourism in Korea is best described as Asian. Of the top ten tourist groups, by nationality, eight are from Asian countries (Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippenes). The United States ranks #3 and Russian places at #6. Canadians are #11, but they are probably all here as teachers.
Asians come here as part of the "Hallyu" movement (Korean wave). They come to see K-pop singers and to visit movie locations. One of Korea's fastest growing package tours visits the sites were Korean soap operas were filmed (Winter Sonata, Autumn in my Heart, Spring Day).
The jump in tourism is partially because there was a massive 11% decline after the World Cup in 2002 (and residual fears about the SARS virus). Tourism is increasing, but it isn't exactly going to become Koreans most important industry - not unless airlines provide multi-stop discounts with China and Japan.
I disagree with the assumption that all temples are the same. They are similar, but each is didtinct in its own way. The temples aren't the biggest draw for tourism, but a few of them should definately be checked out while somebody is here. |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| just because wrote: |
i think you guys are missing the point of going to temples a little(except to pray off course)
Its just a chance to get out in the countryside. A lot of these temples are set in some gorgeous countryside and to go for a walk and just take it all in.
Haeinsa near Daegu, and some in Jeollanamdo are great examples of this.
I love going to temples, not for the temple but for the chill out and surroundings. |
Plus, some of the nearby restaurants have killer food. There is a place in Haeinsa that is really nice, and I had a great lunch in Gyeongu on Saturday.
They are really nice in the spring and fall. |
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